Published 21 February 2020
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
STEP hosts ‘Health and Career EXPO 2020’ in celebration of 3rd anniversary on Friday February 21
Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 20, 2020 (S.T.E.P.) — As part of the Skills Training Empowerment Programme’s (STEP) third anniversary celebrations, West Independence Square will come to life tomorrow (Friday February 21) when the government agency hosts the STEP Health and Career EXPO 2020 to showcase its achievements in the last three years.
“The Expo is an event that has been hosted over the last three years,” said coordinator of the EXPO 2020 organising committee, Mr Ron Dublin-Collins, who is also the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure et al. “It was first conceived to provide a greater awareness of career and job opportunities for the general public.”
The EXPO, according to the Permanent Secretary, would have in the past helped businesses and organisations including educational organisations to come together to display what areas persons can go into and to help them in their career path. The EXPO tomorrow will be open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
“However, this year the focus is on STEP to showcase its third anniversary,” observed Mr Doblin-Collins. “While we have the complement of other institutions and organisations, the main feature is on STEP to highlight the works they have been doing in the area of skill development, and in new businesses that have emerged as a result of the STEP.”
Other members of the STEP EXPO 2020 organising committee are Mr William Phillip who is the STEP’s Field Coordinator, Mr Jason McKoy who is the STEP’s Field Officer, Mrs Nicole Agard who is the Accounts Manager/Finance Officer with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and Mr Ricky Bassue who is the Executive Officer with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
“The Unity Government is celebrating their fifth year in office, and they are having a number of activities,” observed Mr William Phillip. “One of the activities we are having is going to be on Friday, where we are going to have an EXPO in the Independence Square. This EXPO will involve the STEP, which is celebrating its third anniversary, and Ministries of Health and Education. STEP works with the Ministry of Education through AVEC in particular because of the skill-based training institution that it is.”
Mr Phillip added: “STEP’s focus now is more on training. We are not the People Employment Programme it was when it initially started. The Team Unity Government changed that three years ago and we are the Skills Training Empowerment Programme.”
STEP interns in many of the disciplines will showcase what they are doing, and according to Mr Jason McKoy, STEP Field Officer, these include trainees at AVEC who are in cosmetology and hospitality industries, interns at Ade’s Place, interns at the St. Kitts Association of Persons with Disabilities who operate out of the McKnight Community Centre, STEP interns attached to Police/Fire/Custom services, Herbert Marine, farms, hydroponics farmers, poultry farmers, barber shops, crafts, and many more.
